Are Supplements Really Necessary?

I often hear people say: “I don’t need supplements. I eat a balanced diet.” Some health professionals will even tout the same phrase.

But in our our day and age, simply eating a balanced diet cannot give the body all it needs. If you grew up on a farm one hundred years ago, you might be able to make such a claim. But not today. Not in North America where the farm is a monster corporation giving us vegetables that are picked before ripening and grown in depleted soils. If the soil is void of rich minerals, you can expect the same for your food. Let’s not forget the pesticides, herbicides and anti-biotics that also make their way into our produce, grains, meat and dairy (that pretty much covers it, doesn’t it?). So even as we eat ‘well,’ we are putting ourselves at risk!

You might be thinking, “I don’t have to worry about these issues because I eat a purely organic diet.” If that is the case, you are well on your way to achieving optimal health, but it still doesn’t negate your body’s need for supplements. You still have to battle the toxins and pollutants in our environment. Do you know how many nutrients and antioxidants our bodies eat up simply battling those toxins? How can we be expected to maintain optimum health when we face such an onslaught of enemies?

We need to deliver ALL the nutrients, minerals and building blocks our body needs. Supplements fill in the gap in your nutrition. They don’t replace a nutritious diet, but they do give your body that extra support. Even if you are healthy, they still remain essential. Don’t wait until your body is worn down or infected! Enabling your health means enabling the best health possible. We’re going for more than survival! We want cells that are functioning at optimum/powerhouse capacity.

Also note, taking supplements (apart from the obvious nutritional support) has been show to improve one’s health IQ. Those who take vitamins seem to make healthier choices, in terms of diet, exercise, etc. There is nothing better to reinforce ‘enabling your health’ than a daily reminder of your commitment to live better.

Are all supplements created equal?

No! There are varying qualities of supplementation out there, and you want to be sure you’re using the best…otherwise you’re wasting your money!

What’s important in a supplement?

Bioactivity! How absorbable or ‘useable by the body’ is the product. Is it going to get sucked up by the cells and do its valuable work, or as in the case of some vitamins, never dissolve at all? For example, many calcium tablets are full of cheap calcium carbonate, which doesn’t absorb well in the body. So you think you’re doing the right thing by taking your calcium tablets every night, but, in fact, you’re not reaping the benefits at all. The pill is simply being expelled with your urine!

What do I need to watch out for?

Additives – you don’t want them! Is the product filled with preservatives, colors, fillers, binders, you name it? These additives will prevent absorption and might even harm the body. You want the nutritional support without any extras. Period.

Synthetics – you don’t want these either! Synthetic vitamins don’t absorb as readily as natural vitamins. Further, many contain petroleum residue from their manufacture. Natural vitamin sources on the other hand, contain essential co-factors which improve their efficacy over synthesized molecules. For example, beta carotene is better absorbed from a natural source because you get the benefit of other nutrients working in concert. Conversely, synthetic beta carotene is limited to just that–beta carotene, which doesn’t behave the same way in isolation.

Some things to keep in mind:

What is the QUALITY of the ingredients?

How OLD are the ingredients?

How has the product been SHIPPED, HANDLED and STORED?

How PURE are the supplements?

What is the PHILOSOPHY of the provider?

Are you starting to be convinced? Or at the very least, are you ready to consider the issue of supplementation further? If so, we invite you to peruse our site for our specific recommendations.

**Some of things we read and listened to to prepare this article: NPR Science Friday Podcast: Natural Food’s Defense with author, Michael Pollan; Never Be Sick by Raymond Francis; Nature’s Goldmine by Allan C. Somerall.